Chasing Shadows
by Princess of Rainbows and Death
Summary: When you've grown up believing the world will end by your hand, trust is hard to give and friendships are bittersweet. But the people you've been holding at arm's length are- maybe- the ones you should trust the most. Set after "The End"
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time, there was a princess born into a happy kingdom.

Her parents had long looked forward to having a child, and her birthday was celebrated by everyone in thier kingdom. She was adored, the light of day shining on her every day on her life. She was beautiful and radiant, a fairytale princess that minstrels wrote songs about. Hair like spun gold, lips red as blood. Yes, she was perfect.

The king and the queen loved her like nothing else. She grew up held close to her father's heart and her mother's smile. Everything was light and happy, and the princess grew to become the great beauty of legend. And on her sixteenth birthday, she was wed to her handsome prince, her childhood sweetheart.

The princess was a happy girl, every day a new miracle to look forward to.

There's only one problem with that; That girl _isn't me_.

My story is the exact opposite. I was brought into the world by an alien queen and one of the most reviled demons in all of existance. My childhood was plauged by fear and anger, and I couldn't restrain my emotions. My mother was terrified of me, and my father wanted nothing to do with me beside the dark prophecy told at my birth.

My people were scared of the darkness of my father's magic. Perhaps I was a princess, but that story and the tale of my birth have about as much in common as a fish and a panda bear. On my sixteenth birthday, I caused the distruction of my home.

If not for my friends, I would have nothing left. They're the only light in my tale of darkness.

No, my life is not perfect and happy. If you want a story like that, you've come to the wrong place.

* * *

An explosion rocked the tower.

Robin sat up from the couch, flipping over the top. He dashed toward the source.

"Hey, didn't that come from Raven's room?" Beastboy asked, hot on his heels.

"I think so."

He kicked open the door, a burst of smoke wafting through the open space.

"Robin!" Cyborg called from down the hallway. "How's Raven?"

"Raven?" He pulled his cloak over his mouth.

"I'm okay!" She called, coughing. "I guess I don't have my powers back under control."

He threw open the window, choking on the fumes. They made thier way to the door, gasping in lungfuls of the (mostly) clean air.

"Woah." Cyborg said. "You okay? Any injuries? Burns, scrapes, abrasions-"

"I'm _fine_." She stated, obvious annoyance in her voice. "I can take a little explosion, you don't have to worry about me."

"Little?" Beastboy stated.

"Yes, this was not a small accident. Maybe a purification ritual is in order-" Starfire pitched in.

"If you purify me, I will light on fire." Raven growled. "I'm _fine_." She slammed the door.

"Well, that was odd." Robin stated.

Beastboy bit his thumb. The green titan's boyish face looked deep in thought. "She's been in there since that whole freaky thing with her dad-"

"Maybe it's just best to leave her alone." Robin stated.

* * *

Raven cautiously picked up the mirror. She looked into it, staring into the reflection. It began to blink in tandem with the gem on her forehead.

This time, there wasn't an explosion.

Raven sighed, touching the gothic frame. The room still reeked of smoke.

She could feel energy inside her, bouncing around rapidly. Her body had yet to settle down from that fight.

Having her powers ripped away and restored had an obvious effect on her control. A simple levitation spell had her slamming into the roof.

She set the mirror down, taking a deep breath. Carefully, concentrating on her energy, she murmured the incantation.

"Azarath... metrion... zynthos."

No explosion. She levitated a foot from the ground, in that familiar pose. Deep breath... exhale.

"Azarath... metrion... zynthos."

She let the spell fade, standing from the floor.

Raven looked around the gloomy room, her superior vision helping her see the dark room in perfect detail. Her eyesight was far superior to a human's.

There were locked trunks, containing some of the darkest artifacts from her home world. Piles of books were neatly stacked, most of them read and reread. A massive shelf stored more books; ancient, heavy tomes. There was little furnature, a few small tables and a chair at a dark looking, ornate desk. The carpet was a faded purply blue, and the walls were white.

Raven flicked on the light.

"Still creepy."

She sat on the edge of her bed, pulling off her cloak. The young hero stretched, laying back on her bed.

There was a soft knock on her door. "Raven?"

She pulled it open, quickly flicking off the light. "Yeah, Beastboy?"

He waved his hands apologetically. "Just checking to make sure you're alright. Um, you are, right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She stated. "Thanks."

"Um, goodnight." He said.

She hesitated a second, closing the door.

Raven fell back on her bed. "Finally, sleep."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This fanfic is set RIGHT after "The End." Just a note.**

I saw a lot of Starfire/Robin romance in the beginning, but around the middle of season 3 I started to notice Robin and Raven getting closer. When I watched 'The End' and the episodes before it, I fell in love with the idea of that romance. To me, it makes a much more interesting story, because of both of their personalities. So this will be a Robin/Raven romance (Eventually)

_I can write this two ways_; How I originally wrote it, excluding most of season five and creating my own plot, or work season 5 and the brotherhood of evil into it. It would make the updates a little slower because I'd have to re-watch season five and write around it, and slow down the romance, action and plot I had in mind. But either plot will work out just fine in the end.  
_So, should I skip to my interpretation of season 6, or re-write season five? Let me know._

_Again, sorry this chapter is so short, but I need to know what YOU want before I continue further._

**Also, thank you to F. for alerting my story, and a double thanks to CRaveRob for favoriting and alerting! Love you guys!**

**~PoRaD**

* * *

Everything was back to normal.

Outside the titans, no one knew what had happened. All of the events of that day were just a dream, a taboo dream. It kind of threw her off how normal everything was.

She'd told herself for sixteen years that she would be the cause of distruction. Raven felt light, having that burden lifted off her shoulders.

The teen stuck a piece of pizza in the microwave, watching her breakfast rotate on the glass plate. There was a conspicuous absence from their gang; Robin was nowhere to be seen.

She ate her pizza leaning against the counter.  
Wherever Slade was concerned, Robin went haywire. She didn't blame him- Slade was easily the most powerful villian they had ever come up against. In a fight, Robin could easily take all five of them in the right situation, and Slade beat Robin several times.

She wasn't worried about Robin- no, he could handle himself. What she was worried about, though, was Slade.

The masked villian had gotten a taste of her father's magic. She'd heard stories, even had books, detailing how that kind of corruption could change someone. Slade had gotten a hint of that power, and it would never be enough. She wondered what he would do in his quest to find it.

"Hey, Raven."

She glanced up. "Yeah, Cyborg?"

"You seen Robin? I've been looking for him all morning."

"He's probably off brooding somewhere." She answered easily.

Raven looked at her fingernails, bitten short. She frowned in disgust. On the days leading up to her birthday, she'd gotten even more tense and nervous than ususal.

Beastboy was playing video games on the couch, his feet crossed on the coffee table. She couldn't see Starfire around. Cyborg shrugged, walking over to the couch and ripping the controller out of Beastboy's hands.

She couldn't get it out of her head.

Raven remembered every painstaking detail of that night. When Robin told her her own story, when she reverted to her childhood body, She remembered everything. How close she was to all of them, and why she was willing to sacrifice everything for them. How he readily leapt to her defense, when the others were frozen in time.

Her friends didn't ask questions when she needed them. They were willing to go through anything with her- and she was determined to do the same.

She threw her pizza crust in the trash. Her head whipped up as she heard footsteps coming down the main hallway. "I cannot find Silkie!"

Raven sighed, stomping away. Not more mutant worm problems.

"Starfire, I thought you were taking care of Silkie." Robin sighed. He threw himself down on the couch.

"I do apologize. Perhaps he just went for an afternoon walk?" The red-haired alien touched her chin. "Perhaps you can help me look for him?"

Raven frowned. She hated bugs.

"I'll help you, Star." Beastboy stood up. "Um, Robin, Cyborg, Raven?"

"Nope." I cited.

Robin shrugged. "Maybe later, Beastboy."

"Yeah, what he said." Cyborg waited for them to walk away. "That bug thing gives me the creeps. Especially after it exploded, UGH."

"What's bothering you, Robin?" She asked him, sitting down.

He frowned deeper. "Nothing."

"I want to talk to you about Slade." She said.

Cyborg glanced at her. "You wanna talk about _Slade_?"

"He's going to come after me." She said.

Robin blanched. "How do you know that?"

"He got a taste of true power. My father's magic is very addicting. It takes a strong mind, like me or him to control it. Now that he knows what that power feels like, he's going to figure out a way to replicate it or come for me. Starfire can tell you how my powers feel."

"So you're in danger?" Robin asked.

I shook my head. "He won't come after me right away. Slade's going to try to figure out a way to reproduce it, and he can't. After that, he'll attack us, and that's our chance to capture him."

The other two stared at her. "What?"

"Um, nothing. It's just that... you normally wouldn't share this kind of thing." Robin said.

"Well, I am. Unless you don't want my help-" I began angrily.

Cyborg took a step back. "Um, I'm gonna go help Star and BB. Bye, now!"

Raven watched the cyborg edge away. Robin's voice brought her back to reality. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just fine." I responded.

"It's okay to be shaken up about this kinda thing. If you want to talk about it-"

I pulled my cloak around me, crossing my arms. "I don't like talking."

Robin smiled. "Alright. Just remember all of us are here for you."

I stared at the bay outside. "Am I acting weird?"

"Not really, no." He answered. "I'm going to go help Cyborg, too. I don't want to have to buy new matresses again."

He left me sitting on the couch. I sighed, getting to my feet.

So, life was shifting back to normal. It was a jarringly dizzy change, for me. A whole kind of normal to adjust to. But for the rest of the world- even for my friends, today was just another day. The events of the end of the world were over and done with, leaving behind a lot of relief and jumbled emotions. I promised myself to stop thinking about it.

Starfire carried the slimy worm into the room. Her and Beastboy cooed over it.

I sat back down.

"No, you're the one that left Silkie alone!" Beastboy said crossly.

Starfire held up a finger. "Silkie does not need a babysitter."

"He only needs a babysitter from YOU! Don't feed him anymore of those crazy alien berries!" The green shapeshifter waved his hands.

"Yeah, what he said. Is anyone else hungry?" Cyborg opened the fridge.

It's so easy to throw yourself into the balance of things. Bickering with my friends like a normal kid. It's so easy to feel like I belong here... and maybe I do. I might have not been born in this world, but I belong here just as much as they do. Everything was going to be alright now.

"Raven, aren't I right?" Beastboy protested.

"You're never right." I drawled, covering up a smile.

He spluttered. "How can you say that, you don't even know what I'm saying?"

I opened my mouth to make a response. The communicator on my hip beeped.

"Titans," I looked up at Robin's grave face. "Trouble."


End file.
